Holy NO Sleep Batman!

Well, that was a fluke... Oh well.

Tuesday we traveled back to Hutchinson to meet Mackenna's birthdad's family. What a cool family! They are so great. It's so incredible how much little miss is loved, even by people who haven't yet met her! We got to spend part of the afternoon with Mackenna's birth Grandma, Grandpa, Aunties and our awesome birthparent worker from LSS. It turns out we have a lot in common: liking the outdoors, knitting, our faith, lefse-making... the list goes on!

Here we all are. We also visited Mackenna's birthmom and her mom. It was great to catch up. Mackenna has grown so much since the day we left the hospital. Satin thought she was huge! She is. I weighed her today and unless my scale is wrong she's almost 11 pounds!! She got to feed her and change a moderately nasty diaper. Mackenna behaved very well. Didn't have to put her in a time out once. Satin is doing so well. She looks and feels great and is happy to be back to school with her friends.

Satin and Mackenna

It was Tuesday that Mackenna started to smile, also. It was certainly different from the gassy smiles that she also makes, so I think they were real.

The other thing that ROCKED about Tuesday was that we FINALLY got our stroller that I've been pining away for since I found out about Mackenna. It's a sporty lookin' thing, green tea in color. Perfect for Brett and I since we pretty much keep China afloat with our weekly green tea consumption. I had every intention of putting it together while Mackenna enjoyed her usual afternoon siesta.... read on.

Today was an interesting day. Mackenna decided to try out staying awake all day to see what it's like. Turns out it isn't that great, makes for a lot of crying and frustration... not just for Mackenna! I am hoping she gets back to her normal routine tomorrow. One highlight of the day was our visit with Angela, our adoptive family worker from LSS. She came to do our first post-placement visit. It went well. Now just waiting for the official word back from the birthfather registry. It's on to more paperwork for now... thank goodness the envelope isn't as thick as the one with the application. lots of things to sign in triplicate and notarize, notarize, notarize.

Holy Sleep Batman!

Mackenna slept AWESOME last night! The 3 hours it took to get her to sleep were worth the 6 1/2 hours that she slept!! Woo hoo! Let's hope it's not a fluke!

Mackenna has had a good couple of days including her first wienie roast last night at the lake. She decided to pass on the wienies and had a bottle instead.

Some recent pics...

Jaden loves to hold and feed Mackenna
On Sunday Mommy, Daddy, Jaden, and Mackenna went to Miller Park to play. It was a bit chilly but it was nice to get out!Mackenna in her super whisper wrap cover. SOOO cute! Thanks, Patrice!

Mackenna in her new Cutiepoops diaper. The fabric has little fruit and vegetable people on it. It's really cute. The inside is velour! How COMFY! Thanks, Auntie Krista!!
Tomorrow is a big day. We get to meet Mackenna's birthdad and family as well as visit birthmom. This will be the first time she has seen her since we left the hospital. It will be good to be together!

Today is the day...

Today at 4:30pm CST is another milestone for Mackenna's adoption process. Today is the final day of our legal risk for our birthmom. Tomorrow is the last day of legal risk for the birthfather. We won't know, however, for 2 weeks to a month, for sure whether or not someone has registered on the birthfather registry. Our agency will receive an affidavit back confirming no one has registered and then our next stage of the process begins, finalization.

Yesterday Mackenna and I celebrated her 1 month birthday by making a road trip to the cities. Grammie and Grandpa watched Mackenna and I went to spend the afternoon with Disa and the babies. It was great. When I got back Mackenna looked like a giant compared to them!

For her one month birthday, she decided to start using her cute pink girly binkies instead of the ugly hospital binky. I know this is completely vain but she really needs to start matching her accessories with her outfits.

On Monday we had great weather so Jaden and Mackenna and I walked over to the park to play for a while. This was Mackenna's first trip to the park!

Give a yell, Give a cheer, Let's see who's here. MACKENNA! Yea! Mackenna!

You're never too old or too young to start Sunday School! Technically today was Miss M's 2nd day of Sunday School but the first time she was actually awake for some of it. You know you've made the big leagues when your name makes it into 'Give a yell! Give a cheer! ' She was very good. She left the craft project to her brother and decided to practice her singing (crying) instead. I think Jaden was glad that she took her leave when she did. He wasn't hip on sharing his Sunday School teacher and friends with Mackenna today. He made his opinion loud and clear the minute he got up the steps headed toward the nursery. I looked back and he was in the prone position at the top of the steps with his coat and hat and mittens still on. It was pretty pathetic. It's hard not to laugh. His drama could put a 7th grade girl's to shame. Suffice it to say he earned his part in the jr hi musical a couple years too early. Things started to go better for him when he found out he got to use scissors for the craft project, something that Mackenna couldn't do!

Here are some pictures from today and a couple from yesterday.

YESTERDAY

Jacob LOVES Mackenna and is constantly asking either to hold or to feed her.

Grandma Deb (Nik's mom) got to meet Mackenna.

TODAY at Sunday School Home on Spring Break, Chayla got to meet Mackenna.

Tori, Chayla and Mackenna

Paul got to hold a REAL baby at Sunday School. No offense, Darnelle.

Mackenna is on the edge of her seat as Kelly (our Sunday School teacher) tells the story.

Jaden, using his scissors. His fishy picture complete with glued-on tin foil hangs proudly on our fridge.

First cousin sleepover

Tonight Mackenna is having her first cousin sleepover. Both Megan and Jacob got to hold her and get some good bonding time in! Of course Auntie Nik and JayJay have gotten some neice time, too. Big Brother is in bed, long overdue as he didn't sleep during his nap or much last night. Tomorrow we hope to do a whole lotta nothin'. I didn't bring one stitch of anything to do. No knitting. No sewing. No beading. Nothing. GASP!
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Mackenna's Golden Day!

Ok, I know this is a stretch, but today Mackenna is 23 days old. She was born the 23rd, so that makes this her golden birthday if we are talking days instead of years. I can't believe she will already be a month old next Tuesday!

Little Miss Mackenna is beginning to be a bit more assertive these days, being awake a bit longer and requiring a bit more attention. She is officially in a gassy, fussy stage. I wouldn't go so far to say that she is colicky but it's definitely different than it was even 5 days ago. She is getting into sort of a schedule. Not sure if it is a good one, but a schedule none the less. She is up twice a night, usually at about 1 and 4 to feed and then back to sleep. It's taking a bit longer to get her back to sleep as she is really gassy. She is awake for much of the morning, sort of off and on fussy. She sleeps most of the afternoon and early evening waking up only for feeds about 3 or so hours apart. In the evening til about 11 or midnight she pulls out all the stops and is pretty fussy and gassy. She could give some of her uncles a run for their money in that department. (you know who you are... well, I guess there are only two of you...)

We are hoping this is only a stage, a short one at that. She is filling out in her face a bit and has graduated to size one diapers, mostly because I don't want to buy anymore spendy packs of newborns. I can not WAIT til she fits better into her cloth so that we stop 'sposies for good. Plus they just look too stinkin' cute with their huge cloth diaper butts.

In honor of the Daucsavage Ducklings entering the world on Tuesday, Mackenna sported this cute yellow ducky outfit! She can't wait to meet her new playmates! Don't worry, Addilyn, she'll help you keep all those brothers in line!!

Supermodel's first photo shoot

Today my good friend, Sarah came to meet Mackenna and have a little fun with the camera. It was fun to catch up and take some great pics! Thanks Sarah! Mackenna christened her first cloth dipe as we were taking pictures, her 2nd best shooter poop yet! It was great. Sarah even captured it on film, (or memory card) but don't worry, I won't post the pic!

After the shoot, our little supermodel enjoyed lunch on the town with her bestie and cousin, Olivia.

Last night we went over to Pat's after an EXCELLENT supper brought by Katie, Edel, and the girlies. We took some pics in their matching candy pink dipes.

New Pics

We moved one step closer to our family of four on Tuesday. Our birthmom and her parents met with our birthparent worker to sign the adoption papers. We are officially in the 10 day legal risk period. On March 24th at 4:30pm our birthmom's decision will be final and the 25th is the end of the legal risk period for the birthfather to register with the birthfather registry. We won't officially hear anything until mid April or even May, however as the birthfather registry is really backed up lately. It takes a while for the affidavit to come back.

As this time is a happy one for us it is one full of many emotions for our birthmom, birthdad, and families, including grief. Please remember them in your thoughts and prayers.

To hear about our weekend, read the previous post.


Momma and babies


Jaden got to borrow Jacob's big boy alligator sleeping bag when we stayed at Grammie and Grandpas. He must have liked it more than we thought because he wanted to stay awake all night!

Mackenna's first official babysitter was Bevy while Momma took Jaden to school on Friday.


Grandma Pat and Bryce came over on Thursday night for some supper and fun.


Emily, Eleanor, Jonas, and Nate Habben came over on Tuesday with a yummy supper for us and some cuddle time with Mackenna.


The cousins got to meet! They are only 9 days apart. Olivia Joy Peterson and Mackenna Alexandra Peterson



Mommas and babies

A Weekend of Firsts

Wow, what a weekend we have had! Miss Mackenna had her first official babysitter (who wasn't grandma), met her cousin Olivia for rhe first time (she was born 9 days before Mackenna), attended her first bithday party (cousin Bryce turned 3) and made her first trip to Grammie and Grandpa's. I have a ton of pictures that I will post hopefully tomorrow.

We got a very vivid example of what happens when a two year old who has just been 'de-throned' is completely off his schedule, gets no sleep, refuses to eat anything, and doesn't get a nap til 4pm whn he's been up since 3am. He pretty much regressed to 18month behaviors. Its crazy how much better he copes when he is on his routine and has enough sleep. This too shall pass!

More tomorrow...
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It's Belly Button Day!

In honor of Mackenna's brand new belly button that she is sporting today here's a quick excerpt from one of Jaden's fav books, The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton

Soon after dark, upon the beach, we sing our favorite song. And if you're feeling in the mood, we hope you'll sing along. 'BELLY BUTTON, YOU'RE OH SO FINE. OOO, BELLY BUTTON, I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE MINE.' We sing this song on summer nights, or when it's hot outside. But never in cold wintertime, when belly buttons hide. No, never in cold wintertime, when belly buttons hide.

Here's a pic of Mackenna's new Bee Bo! (what hippos call belly buttons)

13 days old!

Mackenna is 13 days old today, tomorrow she will be two weeks! The time has flown by! We had a good weekend but are now really starting to feel the lack of sleep night after night. Thank goodness for caffeine! Saturday she got to meet her great grandma, or Nana as we all call her. Mackenna was named with Nana in mind as her maiden name was Mack. We intentionally spelled her name MACKenna because of Nana!


I can't remember the rest of Saturday, it's a blur, thanks to sleep deprivation. I think I made it out to the YMCA that day, though during nap time.

Sunday's highlight was a trip to the grocery store. ALONE! Just me and my grocery cart. I made it through 3/4 of my shopping before my energy plummeted. There I was standing in the coffee aisle. I was so tired that i was unable to locate a decaf bag of coffee. I literally stood there staring at all the bags of beans in a trance for about 5 minutes. I know there's more than one kind of decaf coffee at Cub but that morning that's all I could see. I dont' get the whole exhaustion thing. I'm not even recovering from a birth or a c-section. I suppose running after a 2 year old might do it, though. hmmm.

Anywho, it's Monday, now, a brand new week. Jon, Sarah, and Sawyer Dahl are swinging over this afternoon for a visit after Jaden's nap so we are excited for that. Sorry there won't be decent coffee. We have a great week coming up. Jaden goes back to Grandma Jackie's tomorrow for 3 days of normalcy for him. It means routine for him and a nap each day for me. Hooray!!

Here are some more pics from the last couple days
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Alissa and Laura came to visit Mackenna. They brought Jaden a present, too, an awesome marker set and coloring book, his first markers! He LOVES them. Now we just have to teach him to put the caps back on. We also had a big group game of Elefun!

Trying (very unsuccessfully) to be Sarah Hausken. (Photographer EXTRAORDINAIRE!)

I know this isn't mackenna related but its too funny. Today jaden has been soooo funny. Mackenna had some competition in the attention game when Alyssa and Laura visited and we caught this great footage of our future american idol on my phone. His fav song at church is Halle Halle so here it is american idol style. Mackenna slept through his 2 10 minute sets.
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Jaden fed glow worm this morning as daddy fed Mackenna. We had a rough night so we're living on coffee today! Both kids ppeed through their diapers within a half hour of each other.
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Mom's here!

Wooo hoo! I just spent a GLORIOUS 2 hours at Caribou Coffee finishing my 2009 Shutterfly book before the carriage turns into a pumpkin at precisely midnight tonight! THANK YOU to mom who sat with Mackenna and Jaden!! Except for a little proof-reading it's done!

Here are some great pics from the last couple of days including a trip to church for staff.



Each staff member held Mackenna for along time, so I actually didn't miss our staff meeting! I didn't have to pay attention, though!!!






Grandma Pat gets some Mackenna time after she got back on Tuesday


Grammie has been having a blast feeding Mackenna while she's been here.


Having a new born can't keep me away from my sewing addiction. On Monday night my mom and I made 8 burp cloths



Megan and Madison came to do homework after school on Monday but Megan didn't have any so she got to hold Mackenna the whole time!


Disa came to visit the day before she moved to her temporary residence at Fairview in the cities before her quads come in March.



Grammie and Grandpa gave Mackenna this cute strawberry outfit.



She donned her first cloth diaper, the one I made that I thought was WAY too small that fits Jaden's glow worm! Who knew!

Katie, Estela, and Amaya came over on Wed afternoon for some hang out time. Everybody was color coordinated. Amaya is even wearing strawberries!